Game Review

Monday night footy was back with the Blues matched against the Saints and for Carlton the added incentive of top spot on the ladder with a victory. Although recent history would demonstrate a strong advantage for the Saints (9 of 11) when meeting the Blues, both Carlton victories had been at this ground on a Monday night (spooky, hey) to give supporters some meaningless statistic to cling to.

A lengthy list of additions was named on Thursday evening and with the long wait until Monday night finally over we were relieved to see regular names Chris Judd and Jarrad Waite back into the cut-n-thrust of the action after recovering from their respective niggling injuries and feeling well rested as a result. Ed Curnow and David Ellard were the other additions to the squad which faced the Giants a week previous. Out of the side went Bret Thornton, Kane Lucas and last week's debutant Josh Bootsma.

The push and shove festival prior to the first bounce telegraphed St.Kilda's intent from the outset. Niggle, harass, sledge and attempt to intimidate. Whether or not it had had any impact on the Blues, the message was clear. When Waite's first kick sailed right through the middle from the tightest of boundary line angles, courtesy of a free-kick, the sceptics amongst us would suggest it had all been bluff and bluster and nothing but a waste of energy. As the game wore on, they were probably less certain. Bouncing back from the initial set-back the Saints returned fire with the next two and so it would continue. Up and down the ground at a frenetic pace, goals scored freely end to end, and very little defence to speak of. Eddie Betts drew the Blues level after roving beautifully to Shaun Hampson and slamming onto his left boot in a virtually simultaneous motion. With the Blues inching ahead in the momentum department they scored again as Kade Simpson converted one of his many early possessions with a signature long finish on his left. Following suit just minutes later Andrew Walker marked and then toyed with his opponent, eventually playing on to steady and goal for the Blues' third straight and an early 11 point lead. St. Kilda pegged one back before Judd responded late in the term with a messy (perhaps Messi?) goal off the deck in traffic to keep them at arms length. Sadly, concentration seemed to lapse in the dying moments as not one, but two goals were conceded in the 31st and 33rd minutes. A very deflating finish to the term that gave the Saints a narrow two point lead at the change.

After the resumption it wasn't long before Matt Kreuzer had the crowd Krooooooozing in his honour after he snapped a nice goal to give the Blues back the lead, but it was short-lived. St. Kilda responded through old war horse Lenny Hayes which seemed to spark their run netting them another three goals. The Saints were able to keep the game very tight and contested and didn't allow the Blues space or time to run. The Blues seemed very much on the back foot and looked exposed defensively whenever the Saints got clear. Bryce Gibbs finally stopped the rot with a calmly taken steadying goal from just inside 50m and Betts followed kicking a beauty on his left after sweeping on a loose ball from about 35m straight in front. The Blues were clawing their way back, the margin had reduced to a solitary goal and but for some inaccuracy could have been in front, but it happened again. Mental lapse, brain fade, call it what you will but in an almost carbon copy of the first quarter the Saints jagged two late goals (30th and 33rd minutes) and stretched their lead to 17 points at half time.

That uneasy feeling was creeping into my gut as the third quarter got underway and the Saints extended their lead further early on. The tension in my intestine eased slightly when old-hands Scotland and Walker steadied the Blues with well taken set shots for two goals in quick succession and the deficit was back to two goals even. But the pressure was piled firmly back on the Blues after Aaron Joseph conceded a costly free-kick and subsequent goal to serial pest Milne. With the cracks appearing in the dam wall the trickle became a steady stream and three more goals came unanswered and the Saints had an alarming 34 point lead. David Ellard's introduction (for the hapless Joseph) reaped almost instant dividends when he goaled from congestion after Kreuzer palmed it straight down his throat. Mitch Robinson kept the patient's heart beating with a late goal, though trailing by 20 points at the final change it was still quite some way back.

A quick an early response was what Carlton needed to turn the tide, but it never came. It wasn't until the 17th minute that Ellard put through the Blues first for the term (his second) and by that stage the Saints had added another couple and pushed their lead beyond five goals. The super-sub Ellard added a third a few minutes later but despite his heroics the game was done. One clear message from the night was that the Blues need urgent repairs on their clearance work. Even with solid performances from Kreuzer and Hampson (giving Judd and co. first use more often than not) it was an area in which Carlton were soundly beaten. The eventual margin was 24 points in St.Kilda's favour, which perhaps flattered the Blues ever so slightly.